Posted on 02/09/2009 12:36:11 AM PST by nw_arizona_granny
Yahoo ran an interesting article this morning indicating a rise in the number of survivalist communities cropping up around the country. I have been wondering myself how much of the recent energy crisis is causing people to do things like stockpile food and water, grow their own vegetables, etc. Could it be that there are many people out there stockpiling and their increased buying has caused food prices to increase? It’s an interesting theory, but I believe increased food prices have more to do with rising fuel prices as cost-to-market costs have increased and grocers are simply passing those increases along to the consumer. A recent stroll through the camping section of Wal-Mart did give me pause - what kinds of things are prudent to have on hand in the event of a worldwide shortage of food and/or fuel? Survivalist in Training
I’ve been interested in survival stories since I was a kid, which is funny considering I grew up in a city. Maybe that’s why the idea of living off the land appealed to me. My grandfather and I frequently took camping trips along the Blue Ridge Parkway and around the Smoky Mountains. Looking back, some of the best times we had were when we stayed at campgrounds without electricity hookups, because it forced us to use what we had to get by. My grandfather was well-prepared with a camp stove and lanterns (which ran off propane), and when the sun went to bed we usually did along with it. We played cards for entertainment, and in the absence of televisions, games, etc. we shared many great conversations. Survivalist in the Neighborhood
I don't know if it will lose its thickening property after being dehydrated or not. I'm going to test the dehydrated okra in my next gumbo but I always pan fry (sautee) it to remove the slime and use roux to thicken . I won't be pre frying the dryed so we'll see..
Thanks so much for the welcome, everyone!
And thanks for the tip TAC!
Thanks for the advice DW!
We are going to do that. The lady behind us has a garden and although she works and works her yields are poor. We have more wild animals per foot than I care to count. We have problems with even flowers here. I planted bulbs for the spring, covered them with red pepper flakes, wet newspaper and mulch but all of them were dug up in a week.
Which is why I’m going for the upside-down gardening. The lady behind us is doing it and she said that it’s the only thing that seems to work. Peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and blueberries can all be done this way so we are giving it a shot. I will look into the hanging Strawberries that you suggested.
We have a well for water with a hand pump. It’s a shallow well but we have stocked up on Britta filters. I researched it and letting water drip through a bedsheet will take out most impurities. A few drops of bleach and a run through a Britta filter and it’s drinkable. So we are set there. Of course I have a nice big bucket for rainwater too!
And I’ve always utilized our local farmers. We are big “pick your own” people. Up until now, freezing has worked. I will probably dry a fair amount this year.
I’ve been working through this site
http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/
It’s happy and not too panicked so my girls can read it. I like it a lot.
I think you are absolutely correct lj.
Since the election things have turned sour in this country.
I agree that God is the only one we can turn to in times of dire trouble which is what I feel our country is facing.
Additionally, self sufficiency is the key. I think many are looking to the government for help and when they don’t get it will be very angry and disappointed. We are seeing it already.
I’m hoping I’ve positioned myself in a good spot [could be better] but it will be hard now to change anything.
Thanks for your great words of encouragement for everyone.
I agree, I do see more people in church which is a good sign. Although, I’m in a small town and things have not become severe here as it is in the big cities around us.
There seems to be more crime in the cities now according to the news reports. I have to travel over there Thursday, so I’m hoping to get there and get my errands done and get back.
I’m planning on stocking up on more seeds and will be looking for a dehydrator and perhaps a solar oven or some sort of camp stove at a store that would carry those things.
Thank you granny!!
Yes times are tough and I needed the hugs.
Seems like the bad guys get all the praise and those trying to correct the erroneous stuff going on are chastised.
I did find a fabulous recipe for healthy chocolate pancakes though. :)
INGREDIENTS:
* 6 egg whites
* 1/3 cup uncooked oatmeal
* 3 tbsp low-sugar raspberry preserves
* 1 tbsp cocoa powder
* Dash vanilla extract
* 2 heaping tbsp of chocolate whey protein powder
* Pam cooking spray
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Mix egg whites, oatmeal, preserves, cocoa powder, vanilla and whey protein in a blender. Spray a 6-inch pan with Pam and warm on medium heat. Pour the mixture in a pan, cover and cook for 4 or 5 minutes. Flip the pancake with a spatula and cook for 1 or 2 more minutes or until the inside is fully cooked.
>>>That would be interesting, do you have some of the dried okra?<<<
Not right now... I have refrained from planting okra because only a couple of plants will give you a whole summers worth of okra and need to be picked every couple of days.
Since fried okra is the only way I can get the rest of the family to eat it, and if you let it get too mature, it is very tough and fibrous, I haven’t raised it in a while.
Will have to try it again this year.
>>>Did you see that Netmilsmom, posted the instructions for the dried Spag. sauce, should be on this page.<<<
I sure did... As soon as I get my dryer out for the season, I will try making some from one of the jars I have canned. Then I can get a sample and if it is as good as it sounds, I will keep the old dryer cranking on it when the tomatoes etc. are in full swing.
netmilsmom may have started something here!!!
I may have to build that huge dryer I was thinking about.
maybe corner the market on silicone baking sheets... LOL
>>>I’d rather see the frustration, fear, and disbelief! At least, after that passes, then they can deal with reality. <<<<
Hmmm sounds like they are still in the ‘denial phase’
Maybe we need to include a Crisis Counselor on thread to help them deal with it... ; )
>>>Awwwwwww man. Close to 3,000 posts to read and digest. :)<<<
LOL - First welcome to the thread... Second, Eveline Woods Speed Reading Course may be called for... This is the SECOND thread - the first one is 10,000+ posts.
TenthAmendmentChampion has archived them for your easy reading convenience - it should be re-posted again really soon (the post expires every couple of weeks or 100 downloads and has to be re-posted)
Again, welcome and participate often - all views/ideas/experiences/thoughts are eagerly awaited by the other members.
>>>to remove the slime<<<
LOL, Here I was trying to tiptoe around saying that - but that is exactly what gets me with the stewed okra...
I didn’t want to see anyone miss out on fried okra as it is really good as long as they are not too mature and woody.
Yes, I will post the first 9000 posts of the original thread tonight. My next task is archiving the last 1000 posts of the first thread and what we have so far on this one.
If want more, you can read our off-site survival thread on Yahoo:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SurvivalGardening/messages
Only 500+ posts there.
Thanks for joining in, sit a spell and grab a cuppa while you’re reading!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?page=1901#1901
I just discovered that if you right-click on the FR post number and select "copy shortcut" or "copy link address", you get the URL for that post, which you can then paste where you need it. I've been typing them in manually. D'oh!
There are hundreds of those acorns lying around each fall. I’m going to collect them and try that. I know the Indians used to live on them here.
Hey all, I’ve not gone totally missing. I am just so busy I don’t get time to read and post. I haven’t run out on ya. I’ve got lots of seeds up and growing, I have to do my “tilling” by hand for the moment, mixing in compost etc. Will get back with ya’ll when I have a minute to rest and have a cup of tea. Hopefully before winter! LOL
>>>Thanks for the advice DW!<<<
I’m sorry - ‘My bad’... I committed the cardinal sin of ‘assuming’ something from one or two posts.
I am thrilled that you are working so diligently on preparing and getting your girls involved..... Good for You!
I just really get worried for those who think they are going to buy their way through what could happen with a stockpile of silver or gold and only play with the details of day to day living that may be needed.
My compliments to you on your forethought in having a hand pump on a well. I have put a ‘T’ in my main water line from the well and ball valves on all three sides, and have a pitcher pump on one and have a supply of pump leathers too. Doing it that way, I can either pump water or close off the well and open the hand pump side and the house side. I then can open each faucet one at a time and pump the water out of the line to avoid freezing if we really had to. (That hot water tank sure takes a lot of pumping though. LOL)
Ahem,,, on a more delicate note..... For those critters that invade your garden..... I have found that human scent and in particular - urine - drizzled around an area works for keeping deer, fox, and raccoons away. One old guy told me about it and since I was planting quite a few hybrid poplars and deer love them, I drizzled a several day collection of it around the perimeter of the patch - repeated weekly during the time they were vulnerable... Did not have a single bite taken from them...
I had a fox that I spotted checking out my chicken coop - tried the same treatment and the motion detector light I had set up did not find a single one - I plugged an old electric clock into the same socket as the light so if something was spotted, even at night, the clock would advance 3 minutes that the light is programmed to stay on. OK, so I am a tinkering old Ag Engineer... It’s what I do...
Again, sorry if I was harsh, but want y’all to be safe.
Whew, glad you checked in - wuz gettin worried...
Mix one, plant two.. Oops not knitting...
Hey, how are your scallions coming from the roots only?
Mine are putting out 2-3 from each... looking good.
Foxes are fairly smart. Retarded coyote, perhaps.
bookmark
Bookmark.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.